Urban Collection: Lakeshore Shawl

Knitting friends, I’m so pleased to announce that the final piece of the Urban Collection is here and ready! (Available now on Ravelry, as well as on Patternfish along with all other collection pieces). This last pattern took me a little longer to finalize than originally planned, but I have to admit I’m pretty happy with it. And now that spring has firmly established itself around these parts in Southern Ontario, the timing could not be better for shawls.

When I was started planning this collection a while back, my goal was that if a knitter were to knit and/or own all of the items in this set, she would be ready for any occasion with a piece of knitwear. That includes sweaters and accessories to be sure, but I knew I wanted to finish with a nice shawl. Shawls are pretty welcome from spring through fall, either as the main attraction atop a dressy outfit, or wrapped over your shoulders while going about your day through the city. There are so many ways to wear them, and so many fabulous colours of yarn available to show off your lace handiwork!

This pattern is worked in the classic top-down triangle shape, beginning from the top of the centre of the triangle at the back of neck, increasing outwards with yarnovers at edge and either side of the centre stitch. There are two main charts in the triangle portion, and the shawl is finished with a knitted-on picot lace border. It’s a shawl that will expect you to have a little bit of lace practice going into it (or at the very least be comfortable with the basics), but won’t tax you so much as to grow weary of complicated charts. I wanted this to be a piece in the lighter end of the intermediate range, that would ask a bit of attention of you but not so much that you can’t still get on with the rest of your day. I quite like the way it turned out, and I know I’m going to enjoy wearing this sample during the coming spring and summer!

I think every knitter deserves a silk shawl in their life. This is worked with Tanis Fiber Arts Silver Label 100% mulberry silk, in Garnet. (Garnet continues to be one of my favourite colours, though I have to say I do not think there is a bad colour when it comes to the silk.) It uses 2 skeins of the TFA silk, or approx. 850 yds of your preferred laceweight or light fingering weight yarn, on 3.5mm needles. Finished size is a comfortable 72 inches across the top “wingspan”, and size is best altered by altering needle size and gauge.

I’d like to once again thank Tanis Fiber Arts for yarn support for this and the other pieces in the Urban Collection, Bridget at Needles in the Hay for obliging me with a few photos of the modelled piece, and Kate Atherley for technical editing.

Happy knitting on this fine Tuesday! May there be delicious lace shawls in your future.

I haven’t had a chance to begin a project from the collection yet — I’m eyeing the socks, though — but I wanted to tell you what an accomplishment this is! So many great, beautiful, and wearable pieces. 😀

Glenna, this is truly beautiful. Your project for a set of designs was well-conceived from the start and this is a gorgeous finish. I live in a warm country where shawls are of more use than mittens, and this one will be made this summer, I promise (as soon as I finish baby blankets for new grandchild–priorities!)

One main difference when working with silk as compared to wool or wool/silk blends, is that the 100% silk will be much more smooth on the needles and in the hands. Therefore, any dropped stitches will be likely to unravel very quickly, whereas with 100% wool, a dropped stitch actually stays put quite happily for a while unless tugged at. So, I recommend using lifelines especially when working with silk.

Also, once blocked silk retains its blocked shape very easily, and does not require re-blocking nearly as often as lace pieces done with wool! It is a nice drapey fibre to work with.

So pretty, and it has a knit on border, which I’ve been dying to try. there you go again, getting me to try new things. First steeks, and now this! But I don’t know if I can handle another project right now…

Now THAT is a thing of beauty. I don’t wear shawls, never knit lace, never used silk,never used that shade, never buy patterns, and I DON’T like change…..but…..I sense a CHANGE is in the air….I really feel compelled to knit this one…..so, let me figure out how to buy the Urban Collection!!!! Really beautiful….